The invention relates to electrical power cords, and more particularly, to electrical power cords having multiple inputs and outputs.
In the event of a power outage, a portable generator is often used to power certain appliances or electronics. However, using a portable generator often means that a user is only able to power a small number of appliances or circuits, due to the fact that portable generators typically only have a small number of outlets. Typically, large portable generators include a significant number of 120-volt outlets, but large generators are extremely heavy, hard to move, and expensive. Smaller, more economical generators are more appealing to some users than larger generators, with the trade-off of having fewer outlets. A smaller generator may, for example, have four 120-volt 3-prong outlets and one 240-volt, four-prong outlet.
In the event of a short-termed power outage, most users do not need to utilize the 240-volt outlet, but rather would like to use additional 120-volt outlets to run more appliances, such as a window-mounted air conditioner, a hair dryer, and a refrigerator, without having to purchase a larger, portable generator.
Furthermore, electrical signals such as current supplied through the 120-volt outlets are generally dependent on each other. That is, the magnitude of the electrical signals drawn from one of the 120-volt outlets directly affects the magnitude of the electrical signals drawn from the other 120-volt outlets.